Blair to be reprimanded over job figures leak

Tony Blair will be reprimanded for leaking market-sensitive data on a drop in unemployment

Tony Blair faces a reprimanded today from the statistics office after he leaked a market-sensitive report on a drop in unemployment.

The Office for National Statistics, whose publication was alluded to by the Premier, has contacted the Cabinet Secretary and said it was "looking into what Mr Blair had said".

In a question-and-answer session after his address to the Trades Union Congress in Brighton, the Prime Minister suggested that the figures would show a "very welcome" decline in the numbers claiming unemployment benefits.

Opposition parties later branded him "naive" to reveal the information a day before its official release.

The disclosure triggered millions of pounds changing hands as traders tried to cash in on this surprising sign of health in the UK economy.

His statement also caused the pound to climb as the City took the Premier's comments as further evidence that the Bank of England would raise interest rates again befor the end of the year.

The Office for National Statistics said: "We have seen reports that the Prime Minister made remarks about the unemployment figures in advance of their publication.

"The National Statistician is looking into the circumstances and has been in contact with the Cabinet Secretary."

Despite the fall in Britons claiming unemployment benefit, the number of jobseekers has jumped to its highest level in almost seven years.

The Office for National Statistics said unemployment hit 1.7 million in the three months to July - the worst figure since January 2000.

The figure was 93,000 higher than last month and up 280,000 on the year.

Shadow Chancellor George Osborne said Tony Blair had made an "irresponsible gaffe" by revealing the figures.

He said: "Important economic data should not be blurted out at meetings with trade unionists."

The fall in people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance last month came as the ONS revised the July figure from a rise of 2,000 to a decline of 1,000.

The ONS said the number of people in work between May and July increased by 38,000 to 28.97 million, although manufacturing jobs fell by 91,000 to just over three million.

Average earnings increased in the three months to July by 4.4 per cent when City bonuses were included - up 0.1 per cent on the rate to June - but without bonuses the growth rate fell by 0.1 per cent to 3.7 per cent.

Economist John Butler, of HSBC, said Tony Blair had raised expectations with his comments.

Mr Butler said: "The number of people claiming unemployment benefits, the claimant count, fell in August, as Mr Blair had informed us.

"However, unemployment on the more comprehensive International Labour Organisation measure continues to rise, employment growth is slowing and wage growth was again lower than expected.

"Arguably this set of labour market data is softer than the market median expectation, particularly the expectation built subsequent to the Prime Minister's comments."